Technology policy and classroom practice: The influence of federal and state policy in district technology plans and the implications for classroom practice

The purpose of this study was to examine district technology plans and their subsequent implementation within the district, the school, and most important, the classroom. Four research questions were developed to guide the study: (1) What are districts' current technology plan design? (2) To what extent have the districts' technology plans been implemented? (3) What is the relationship between the districts' technology plan designs, implementation of the plans, and classroom use of technology? (4) Was classroom technology use stimulated by district technology plan implementations, and were district plans the result of policy-driven initiatives from the state or federal level?;Qualitative and quantitative descriptive case study research methods were used to conduct a cross-case analysis of six in-depth case studies, each consisting of one district and a component middle school of that district. The case studies examined the district technology plan design, the implementation of that plan, and the impact of the technology plan implementation on classroom practice.;Four major findings emerged from the study: (1) State and federal government policy makers have been successful in encouraging districts to plan for technology and to author comprehensive technology plans. (2) However, the resulting written technology plans do not meet all policy requirements, and implementation efforts lack even more. (3) Teachers and site administrators know little of the technology plan; therefore, their direct impact on the classroom and the instructional program is minimal. (4) Notwithstanding, classrooms and schools have benefited from policy makers' efforts indirectly by having increased access to education technology.;This study recommends that policy makers change their technology plan requirements to reflect what is known about the proven benefits of education technology at this time. Also, policy makers should request technology plans from schools, not districts, thereby moving planning efforts closer to the instructional process. Finally, districts and schools should focus technology resources on teachers who will experiment with and use technology in a meaningful way.